The Verve Pipe rocks downtown Mt. Pleasant, part of Max and Emily's Summer Concert Series

Singer and guitarist Brian Vander Ark (center, front) of The Verve Pipe leads his band in entertaining concertgoers at the Max and Emily’s Summer Concert Series in downtown Mt. Pleasant on Thursday, July 18, 2013. (Sun photo by: Jake Crawford/@jake_crawford91)

On Thursday night, that familiar face got the crowd at the intersection of Broadway and University streets singing, clapping and dancing along as he performed with his band, The Verve Pipe, as part of the Max and Emily’s Summer Concert Series.

“This is Brian’s fifth year being on stage and his second year with the full band, The Verve Pipe,” said Chris “Elmo” Walton, Max and Emily’s general manager. “They’re such a riot to have up there.”

Walton said because the band is Michigan-based, and a few of the current and former members attended Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant has a pretty big connection with The Verve Pipe.

Advertisement

“They used to play Bar One way back in the day,” Walton said. “The community can relate to that.”Walton said people who grew up listening to The Verve Pipe who now have children can take their kids to the show and hear the classic songs they grew up with, and still have new songs for their kids.

Vander Ark said he comes back to Mt. Pleasant for the people.

A few decades ago, he played about six to seven shows in mid-Michigan each year, and frequented Bar One in Mt. Pleasant.

At the club, pool tables were converted into a stage.

“I was too tall,” the 6-foot 5-inch musician recalled. “I hit my head on the ceiling.”

Vander Ark said it has been an interesting transition playing for parties and bar crowds in the ‘90s, and coming back to play for families and kids now.

Walton said despite day heat indices in the 100s, the weather cooled off a lot by 5:30 p.m., making the downtown atmosphere a little more comfortable.

Walton said he wasn’t concerned about losing crowd members because of the weather.

The Verve Pipe always draws a large audience, he said, and Thursday’s crowd of 2,300 was no exception.

“I was very comfortable and very happy to see such a full street, and see so many families and young kids dancing,” he said.

Once the heat broke, Vander Ark said the concert went great.

“It’s hard to move around when it’s 95 degrees,” he said.

Vander Ark said if Max and Emily’s has him again, he would be glad to return, though he would enjoy switching it up between both The Verve Pipe and his solo acoustic work.

“This is a terrific series,” he said. “It’s a great thing for Mt. Pleasant.”

Grand Rapids resident Kristen Miles brought her husband and three kids for the concert.

It was her first time attending the concert series.

“One of my husband and my first dates was to a The Verve Pipe show,” she said. “We brought all three kids and they like The Verve Pipe too. They don’t have much of a choice now.”

The entire family danced and will likely return next year, she said.

Max and Emily’s will host The Saucecats 7 p.m. next Thursday, July 25, at the corner of Broadway and University streets.

Randi Shaffer is a reporter at the Morning Sun. She can be reached at 989-779-6059, rshaffer@michigannewspapers.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/randi.shaffer